Homefront
by Danny Barefoot
Summary: Non non Biyori/Kiniro Mosaic/Aldnoah Zero. The Martian invasion, in the eyes of ordinary girls conscripted or parted from loved ones. I don't own these series. Slightly darker than SoL, but not an angst fest
1. Chapter 1

After the vast thump and distant tremor that had passed through Asahigaoka village that morning, all cellphone and radio contact from Tokyo had ceased. Apart from family members at home by their landlines, almost the whole village were at the town hall. Sat around that mouldy edifice on uncomfortable chairs, they waited together.

"Hey, Nattsun? What do Martians really look like? Do they have lots of antennae, like big green shrimps with wings, or…"

"Shh, Renge. They look just like us, you know?"

"Uwah! Then you could be a Martian! Everyone could be Martians! Is there a Renge-Martin who looks like me, and Nattsun and Hotarun and Koma Martians…?"

Briefly, the hall rumbled with laughter; Natsumi needed a drink of water. Then someone asserted that the Martians must have spies and saboteurs around–though, as his friends reminded him, probably not in a tiny rural village.

"Don't we know anything about, um, Tokyo, sempai?" Hotaru asked, not for the first time. Her family had moved out from Tokyo months ago; many of her friends were still there.

"No…but there was definitely no flash, so it wasn't, you know…a bomb." Komari told her, "I'm sure Hikage-san will be okay…you'll have your sister come home early, Renge!"

"When's that? When's Hika-nee coming home?"

The silence was broken when the head of the Village Council stood up to address the crowd. The Martian Princess had definitely been attacked by parties unknown; she was probably deceased. The Martians had definitely attacked Tokyo; he was certain every effort would be made to repel them. Everyone should remain calm but prepared, to do all their sacred nation might ask. They should pray for Japan, her people, her fighting men, and peace on Earth.

"The Princess was only attacked yesterday," Natsumi muttered under the hubbub, "How do they know who did it?"

"Poor princess," As Komari stared down, Hotaru patted her hand, "She was barely older than us."

"Hey. When's Hika-nee coming home from Tokyo?"

Komari stammered vaguely. All of them had heard the bang, but no one in the room believed Tokyo could've been destroyed.

"Hey!" Natsumi forced a goofy smile, "If we're at war, will school be cancelled?"

-0-

-0-

"School will continue, even if we're at war. Your educations are very important after all. Yes, I think even if we're at war, life should carry on as normal. Okay, carry on everyone…" Kazuho-Sensei's class watched her promptly fall asleep.

"Huh. Nee-nee should be replaced with a Martian."

Kazumi continued to nod off, having spent the entire night trying to contact Hikage's school in Tokyo. The class self-studied in unusual silence.

After school, something compelled the girls to stay together at each other's houses, even with nothing but static on the TV. Even if you didn't want life to change, sometimes you felt it had to….and were only smothered in forebodings when it didn't. Every conversation tailed to nothing. Only Renge was still asking when her sister would be back.

When the girls trooped round to the candy store a few days later, Hotaru noticed that some bushes had been cut back, making the shop harder to approach unobserved. Like many grown-ups, Kaede had closed shop for a few days to stockpile tinned food. Unlike many grown-ups, she had also acquired a hunting rifle.

"Whoa. So this is Candy-store's mail order business..."

"Do you think I'd know any arms dealers? I just got this from an old friend of granddad." Kaede didn't mention that the gun was unlicensed. It would have taken too long; and she recalled a movie where invading Russians had used such records to round up armed civilians.

"Are you going to shoot the Martians, Candy-store?"

Renge looked quite nervous; she hadn't yet stopped thinking of Martians as mysterious and cool. Kaede looked down at her tiny face, utterly solemn and earnest.

"I won't shoot unless you're in danger, Renge-chan. Alright, the rest of you squirts as well."

Apart from a few more rifles and shotguns in evidence, and the absence of both TV and relatives from Tokyo, very little did change in Asahigaoka. Natsumi passed on rumours that the Martians were preparing to blow up Earth, as they had destroyed the Moon; that the UFE were about to nuke Tokyo. That the Martians were using mind control on the UFE; that a hero had emerged and thrown them out of Japan. Komori asked pointed how anyone in the village could know such things, but listened as avidly as anyone.

When another world-filled thump and flash passed through from the direction of Shinawara, Renge stopped asking about her big sister. She asked again when the Martians broadcast the ceasefire, but lapsed back into silence when it was cancelled hours later. Komari claimed that if the war had really only just started, surely nothing could have happened yet?

Nothing else changed, or was known about the war, in Asahigaoka, until the girls went to the bus stop one morning and met the first Tokyo evacuees. There were two redheaded twins around Renge's age, but her gaze was arrested by their blonde and blue-eyed chaperones.

"Uwah! Foreigners! Or are _you_ Martians?"

-0-

-0-

Like their schoolfriends, Alice Cartalet and Omiya Shinobu lived together in an outer suburb of Tokyo, which only took light damage when Castle Cruhteo descended on the metropolis. For the past fortnight, Shinobu had been gushing about the golden-haired Princess of Mars, and mourning the fact that her welcome parade in Shinawara clashed with school.

"…but not to worry! To celebrate, I'm going to make a dress for Alice, just like she's wearing in the photos. Then Alice can be my Princess!"

"Oh, Shino…" The tiny blonde clasped Shino's hands, though her smile turned to rage, when Kujo Karen asserted that shelooked more like the Princess. The resultant spat ended with Shino promising to make three Princess dresses for all of them, in different colours.

Weeks later, they had sat down before the TV in those dresses, and, together with Karen's friend Honoka, watched the parade.

"…they were…bombs? Rockets?" Karen looked utterly stupefied, "Was the Princess okay?"

"Who would do such a thing…?" Honoka was on the verge of tears.

"…it's okay." Shino turned from the chaos on screen, to Alice's whitened face, "I'm glad we couldn't go now, so you weren't in danger."

In silence, they left for their homes. Hours later, every window for miles blew out; every girl was thrown to the floor.

-0-

-0-

The Tokyo evacuation had been a hideous chaos. Walking wounded streaming from the inner suburbs, disaster relief and military rushing inwards, screaming prophecies of doom on every block. There was a dark cloud in the sky, and the choking scent of brick dust.

Shino, Alice, Isami and their mother had finally reached a pick-up point. The Inokumas and Komichis were there too, as well as Honoka's family. Yoko had barely forced her siblings and parents onto a packed military transport and shouted that she'd be on the next one.

"We'll both be on it!" The redhead grinned at her friend Aya, squeezing her hand, "Sorry."

"I'm okay, Yoko…you're here." And even with the Tokyo tower in ruins, she was still the same…Aya squeezed back, and hid her smile.

As the next transport had roared up, people in the crowd had started yelling about Martian Kataphrakts. A heaving riot had broken out. Shino had barely kept hold of Alice's hand–and Honoka had stumbled, fallen under the mass of feet and faces.

Her parents had forced a path through the crowd to her, and so had Yoko, hitting out with fists and elbows to reach her classmate. Aya's parents had barely hauled her onto the transport, as it lurched away from them, as Aya beat her fists pathetically on the walls, and said Yoko was a baka, baka, baka.

"Aya! She's with Honoka's parents," Shino had consoled her, "She's strong, she be on the next bus, we'll see they're both okay, soon…" Aya would've been more reassured if Shino's big sister hadn't been so silent, "Alice, are you sure you're okay?"

Alice was still wearing her Princess costume. She looked up as Shino spoke, and tried to smile.

"I'll be fine, Shino. I expect…we'll find out what's happening soon."

"Alice, your family will be fine, I'm sure of it! They live in a little country village, and they've got the British army and the Royal navy, I'm sure England will be okay…Britons will never be slaves, you know?"

Alice smiled at that. The two of them occupied the rest of the journey singing 'Rule Bitannia', then 'They'll always be an England' and so on. Shino, Isami and the rest of the bus 'lalalaed' along. Then they sang the Japanese anthem; Alice and Shino 'lalaed' to that. Aya listened, and tried to think of nothing else.

 _Still more majestic shall you rise,_

 _More dreadful from each foreign stroke;_

 _As the loud blast that tears the skies,_

 _Serves but to root thy native oak._

 _Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves!_

 _Britons never, never never will be slaves!_

The displaced person station was already filled with circling families, screaming children and mud. Isami had finally spotted Karen, jumping up and waving her hands.

" _Ohiyo-gozaimash_! I'm so glad you're all safe! Papa's just gone back to shuttle out more people with our mobile home, but he'll be here soon, and Mama too! Where's Yoko? And Honoka, and…?"

Kouta and Mitsuki, Yoko's siblings, stared at Aya blankly. She fell on their little shoulders, and sobbed out that Yoko would be coming soon.

"Yes!" Karen's smile barely wavered, "Yoko and Honoka!"

Honoka's parents turned up that evening, but not their daughter, or Yoko. They heard that central Tokyo had been wiped out. A single Kataphract had defeated the UFE's entire force; there was nothing between the camp and the Castle Cruhteo.

Aya and Shino's fathers had worked much nearer ground zero; both were badly hurt, but alive. Britain, not the force it used to be since the flooding of central London in Heaven's Fall, had not been attacked by a Landing Castle. But no one knew that, so Alice and Karen had no idea.

-0-

-0-

"Are you a Martian?"

"I'm Alice…" Alice met Renge's earnest, demanding gaze, and quailed. Japanese girls really were scary.

"No!" Karen declared readily, "We're English!"

"You speak Japanese! Amazing! Do you have superpowers?"

"Renge!" Natsumi forced the little girl's head down, and tried to remember English lessons, "Ah–VELY SOLLY! SHE JUST KID, um, YEAH...!"

"At least she noticed that we speak Japanese!" Karen pouted, flicking her hair, "In England, country folk have better manners!"

"Er..."Natsumi awkwardly glanced away, at the twins with red hair like hers. They had been stared directly at her for the whole time. "Um, so, did you travel in from anywhere? Is everything okay…?"

"SISTER!"

The twins silently launched themselves at Natsumi and embraced her. Karen laughed, Alice smiled peacefully, and peace settled over both united parties in a matter of moments.

-0-

-0-

At the camp, Isami had gone to register for food allocations, and come back Private Omiya, FC, drafted by the UFE. Like Yoko, her pilot scores in school training had been excellent. But (Shinobu rushed to the office to explain) her modelling career surely meant she should be a publicity figure, not a mecha pilot–

"We're swimming in volunteers anyway, and we'd conscript them otherwise. The enemy really is in the gates, you know." The sergeant smiled kindly, "Your sister mentioned your talent with clothes; I see your piloting skills couldn't be lower, so you'll be assigned as a quartermaster's aide. Komichi-San; we'd like to assign you to the catering corps."

"Sorry? I don't quite understand…"

"The UFE is drafting all persons over fifteen, with any useful experience. They will be non-combatant roles, but your country must call upon your services, young ladies. To repel the monsters from Mars, we must each give our all." Alice, clinging to Shinobu's arm, let out a squeak, "And you could play your part as well, Miss. Wouldn't you like to volunteer with your friends–?"

"You should remind her first that only the British UFE can conscript British subjects, sergeant." Isami coldly interrupted. "She really does have a choice!" Alice remained silent. They trooped back to their tent, to find their homeroom teacher Kuzehashi, sharp as ever in her UFE uniform, talking with a sulking Karen. She had had a row with her parents about volunteering.

"I've got really good pilot scores. I want to pilot an Aerion, and give the Martians what for, in Yoko's place! And I want to avenge Honoka…but they just say, no, no, no! Why can't I fight? It's for the whole country!"

"Because Omiya Isami-San and I will fight and risk our lives to protect you, Kujo-San." Kuzehashi told her, "And your parents care about your safety more than anything."

"Isami..." Shinobu and Alice gave the uniformed teen-model admiring glances. Isami sighed but smiled, and said she'd look out for them.

In the end, Mr Kujo and Honoka's father volunteered for the infantry; they might be sent into battle with a month's training. After a very little thought, Alice decided not to volunteer; she joked that she might not have passed the Physical anyway.

Aya had barely reacted to her conscription. In her heart, it couldn't be be happening; with Yoko gone, she couldn't face it. Yoko was the strong, always there for her, Yoko was never on time, but never made her worry...now fears consumed her thoughts, her voice and her heart.

A lot of refugees needed clothes mending or handed out, so Private Shinobu found her new work quite satisfying. The uniform could just have been a bit nicer. Private Aya Komichi didn't get on so well distributing soup and water rations to refugees. There were thousands of them, stressed and demanding; often she was distracted, overwhelmed, or collapsed under pressure. Alice and Karen made it their work to support her, but she still grew more silent every day, and cried herself to sleep in their UFE-issued tent.

The twin grew more quiet and grim every day as well, among the mud, frustration and fear. Every time a Sky Carrier overflew the camp, they ran to their mother.

"–they said the Martians will make Japan sink–!"

"–another camp somewhere got attacked, by them."

"What if Yoko's waiting for us at home? That would be very Yoko…"

Even before the meteor attack on Shinawara, the cancellation of the ceasefire, and the confirmation that a refugee camp on the other side of Tokyo had been wiped out by a Martian Kat–it was clear that the twins couldn't remain in the refugee camp; nor should the English girls. Mr Kujo's contacts among UFE contractors had told him that sea-travel was fairly risky; China and Russia were filling up with Versian conquests in any case.

It was decided that Mr and Mrs Inokuma would wait at the camp for news of their daughter. Aya and Karen's mums, Alice and Karen, and both the twins, would go to stay with the Inokumas' grandmother in a rural village. It was miles from anywhere; probably the last place in Japan the Versians would trouble to conquer.

"The only trouble is Alice," Karen muttered, "When they put her in different classroom from Shino, she was in a state of shock for weeks."

-0-

-0-

"NOO! Shino, I can't leave you now! I want to stay with you."

"Dear Alice, at least you can go. Even if I must stay here, I want you to be safe."

"You're not safe, staying here? Oh, then please come with me, Shinobu! Or let me stay, I could stand any danger if you were there…"

"And I could stand any danger, Alice, knowing you were somewhere else!"

Alice was going to argue further, but Aya was sitting near them in silence. She had been parted without a choice from her loved one. As Karen had been cut off from from her Honoka, not knowing if she was hurt or worse, but still acting cheerful for them all. Karen and Aya had to bear it, and so did she.

"Okay, Shino!" Alice clung to her waist, weeping into her tunic, "Be brave! Be strong! If the Martians come, stab them with sewing needles! My hero..."

" My Princess..." They could say nothing else but with embraces and tears, and barely noticed Aya dash out. She had felt if she watched them any longer, she would vomit.

-0-

-0-

"…so, we're going to be staying with Yoko's grandmother, until everything settles down. Thank you for having us."

Story finished, Alice breathed out. Nothing could seem more settled than the quiet roads and fields of this village. But at the thought of Shino, she could barely hide the chaos in her heart.

"No, the pleasure is all ours, Miss Alice" Hotaru flushed and bowed deeply, "We can't offer you much, but I hope we can be friends." Alice went pink with happiness at being called 'Miss', causing Hotaru to very nearly swoon; Alice's petite and glowing appearance had manifestly bowled her over.

"Yeah, nice to meet you." Natsumi added, "Do I really look like these kids' sister?"

"Yes! You're probably our long-lost other sister!" Kouta and Mitsuki nodded wildly.

Alice smiled. Even without her dear Shino, even in war, they could find little joys each day, and their lives could have peace...

"You're not Martians...you're from Tokyo!" Renge piped up, "Do you know when my sister's coming home?"

"No we don't!" Karen snapped. Alice squeezed her hand. Even with Honoka lost, Karen had kept smiling through...she had never seen how hard it was.

Natsumi broke the silence lamely mentioned that the twins had better let go of her soon.

"Um," Hotaru spoke up shly, "I made plushies of our class once, and Natsumi-sempai too…I could give it to Kouta and Mitsuki-chan, until they can see their sister again! I could even make some more…"

"Nice idea!" Karen said, "And we could send one to Ayaya as well!"

And so within a month, Aya got a red-haired, grinning plushie in the mail. She might have worried she was too old for plushie, but no one else knew. She snuggled up to it every night.

-0-

-0-

In the end, Kazuhi explained to Renge there was no way of knowing when Hikage would be back. Renge stared at her for a long time.

"Is there really no way? Or are you just being lazy, Nee-nee?"

"Now, Renge..."

"Just tell me the truth!"

Sniffing, Renge dashed away to her room. Kazuhi leant against the wall, still bearing her empty smile, and a weight like Castle Cruhteo itself inside her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Mum, Dad, Kouta, Mitsuki, Aya Shinobu and Karen._

 _I hope you get this letter soon. Really hope you're all safe. I'm really, really sorry. After I lost her parents in that mob, I had to find Honoka first-aid. I ran all over with her. We found some soldiers, I had to stay with her, and we ended up on an Assault Carrier headed for the continent._

 _Honoka didn't make it. I'm really, really sorry. She hit her head in that insane crowd; they say loads of people were hurt or killed, and she was just a girl. I stayed with her all the time. She never woke up. Mr and Mrs Matasuba, I'm so, so sorry. Karen, I'm so, so sorry. I promise to get back at the Martians for Honoka's sake, whether I have to die, or do anything._

 _Sorry, I meant to promise I'd come back safe! You've probably guessed I was drafted. I can't say where we're heading, but I'm going there in an Areion. I won't do anything stupid; I have to see you all again and apologise with forehead on the floor._

 _Really sorry to make you worry, Aya. I've made wonderful new friends, and it isn't that cold! Please stay safe until I come back. Have you killed many Martians yet, Karen? Seriously, don't you do anything reckless either! Take care of Alice, Shinobu. Aya, please take care of Kouta and Mitsuki. I love you, Mum and Dad. Love you, Kouta and Mitsuki, even if you're still telling enormous lies. I'm going to see you again, and that's the truth._

 _Pvt FC Inokuma Yoko,_

As Yoko wiped her eye, a hand rested on her shoulder.

"Ahem…send your feelings away in that envelope, soldier. Our hearts must be where our battle is."

"Hmm? Doesn't Corporal Rize ever think fondly of the girls she left behind?"

"Don't invite misunderstanding!" Rize blushed and pouted, "I'd spend every minute worried to death, if it would do them any good. But it won't. So I try not to."

"My friend worries a lot. But she's actually quite sensible," Yoko felt Rize's pigtail between her fingers, "And she's silky like you…but I'm actually glad it's you in a place like this, not her."

"You're not worried for me at all?" Rize smiled and hugged her comrade from behind, "Don't answer that. This is where we're meant to be, and we can endure it."

The two soldiers pulled on their coats, and left the barracks side by side. They crunched through snow to send off Yoko's letter, though it wouldn't reach her friends for months.

-0-

-0-

"…I'm so sorry to do this to you, little meats. We all have to do our bit for humanity. And yours is to be _boiled_ in this oh so _boring_ soooup…"

Pvt Komichi Aya had hoped at least to get on with her colleagues in the UFE catering corps. She stole a glance at the girl with a soft, monotone voice, fixed smile and glazed eyes–and cut her finger with the potato peeler.

"Owwie! Leave this to your sister!" Aya's self-appointed new friend, Pvt Hoto Cocoa, quickly smothered the cut in bandages.

"Um, thanks…is Ujimatsu-san okay?"

"Oh, don't mind Chiya-san! Her family own a café, you know? She's very _artistic_."

"…you mean, café food is quite different from military mass catering? I feel I've got so much to learn as well."

"Some horrors are best unlearned…" Pvt Ujimatsu Chiya smiled at Aya, very much like Isa-nee, "Every dish at Ama Usa would be a beautiful creation, not a…nameless heap. Ah…don't worry, Komichi-san, I will be alright. And if any Martians get this far, I feel so aggrieved that I could slice them all to pieces."

"Yeah, and I'd hit them with a rolling pin! You've got a Samurai and a big sister to take care of you, Komichi-san!" Aya kept peeling potatoes, and wondered if her eyes were glazing too.

Presently work finished for the day. Aya and her mother rode a military transport to the camp hospital.

"Hello, Papa. I'm doing fine. Shinobu is fine too. I'm sure Alice and Karen are well…and Yoko, that idiot, I'm sure she's safe…"

Aya stared fearfully at her father's bed–severely injured, he had slipped into a coma within days of Earthfall. Her mother patted her back.

"I'm trying my best to work hard, as a catering corps girl. Everyone has to do their bit. We don't always have enough food, but we make it go as far as possible. I'm pretty much friends with the other girls my age…they're a bit _different_ , but alright. Cocoa and Chiya made all these paper cranes, with prayers for your health. I thought that was really nice."

Mr Komichi remained silent. Even before the war he had been a distant father, scarcely ever home from the office. As had Shinobu's father, who had already got used to his prosthetic leg, and Yoko's father, growing more morose with every day he could do nothing for his family. He scared Aya, sometimes; everything scared her these days, except cooking. And when would Yoko ever be home to eat it?

Aya gazed out at the darkened window above them. Longing rose in her like a sob–for a warm, toothy smile, and a strong hand in hers.

-0-

-0-

In Asahigaoka, Alica and Karen were making dinner for the twins, at their grandmother's neat little cottage. Alice mentioned that Hotaru had invited her over to help with English homework.

"You know, Karen, the dark-haired, pretty girl? Do you want to come too?"

"Oh, yes! Hey, Kouta and Mitsuki-chan? Are you getting on well with Hotaru, Nattsun and the others at your school?"

"Mm!" Kouta nodded, "Natsun Onee-chan knows loads about bugs and animals, and Renge-chan showed us her pet tanuki. She said he does tricks."

"But that was a lie." Mitsuki added sourly, "She always says weird things, just to stand out."

"Eh, she stands out anyway. And her grades are better than yours, nee-chan."

"Hmph!"

Karen giggled at Mitsuki's temper, and wouldn't tell Alice why. But she thought it was nice that at least the twins were enjoying their new school.

While the Inokuma twins had joined the single all-age class of Asahigaoka middle, Alice and Karen attended a highschool in the nearest town. Apart from Konomi, a friendly older girl, all of their classmates were from separate villages. None of them had seen a foreigner before. Many had a vague idea that the Western world had spent fifteen years huddled in ruined cities, burning rubbish; the Class Rep actually explained to Alice how running water worked.

'Why did you come _here_?' was the ubiquitous question, if only expressed in a brazen stare. Whispers quickly arose that the half-and-half girl was a gaudy show-off; she had actually stood up in homeroom and said she wanted to be friends! Konomi's music club friends were nice enough, but the cliques from other villages cut the English girls dead. Karen found it hard enough. Alice, rejected by her beloved Japan, spent her days wanting to hide in a hole and cry for her darling Shinobu.

When she'd confided her problems to a teacher, the woman had looked very severe. She'd said the girls should work harder to fit in, and be glad of a place of safety, when millions across the world were starving in prison camps, or dead.

-0-

-0-

The next day the two girls walked through the rice fields to Hotaru's house, stopping to get some fruit from the honesty stand. Asahigaoka felt more like their hometown in the Cotswold Hills than Tokyo had, despite the lack of hedgerows. And her parents, alive or dead on the far side of the world…and dear Shinobu, the friend she'd missed for weeks, like a lost soul…

"Don't mind!" Karen slung an arm round her friend's neck, "Even if it's hard, we have to do our best. For all our friends as well!"

"Mmm. Thanks, Karen."

Hotaru politely welcomed the English girls, gently introduced Alice to the dog, and served them barley tea. Then she told them about the surprising but pleasant experiences she'd had, when first arriving in Asahigaoka. The girls laughed and 'oh really'd', and Karen was so surprised when they noticed the time, she dashed up to Hotaru's room without asking to get her textbooks.

"Ah…um, Alice…"

Alice peeked round the door. A blonde, blue-eyed plushie smiled from every shelf. Hotaru looked ready to drop through the floor.

"Hotaru-san? Do you…like me?"

"I'm sorry, Alice-sempai!" Hotaru broke down, "I couldn't help myself, I got carried away, I was even unfaithful to Koma-sempai! I'm the worst…"

Alice noted an even larger number of Koma-plushies around the Alices. Screwing up her courage, she clasped Hotaru's shaking hands, palm to palm, and smiled up at her.

"Its okay, Hotaru, I like you. You're a truly polite and earnest Japanese maiden, and your shyness just makes me love you more! So can we be friends, Hotaru? I'll help you express your feelings to Komari as well, and we can all be friends."

"Oh, Sempai!"

"Aren't you cheating on Shino here, though?" Karen snarked.

"No! Shino's our friend as well, isn't she?" Still staring at Alice's hair, Hotaru nodded blissfully.

The next evening, Hotaru, Komari and Alice all met up for English tutoring. Komari had been longing to hear about the city from Alice, and Alice was quite taken by the small girl's impulsive cuteness. So they laughed together sweetly, and pored over textbooks with their heads touching. While Hotaru watched, adored, and wondered if this would be enough happiness for the rest of her life.

"Alice-sempai, you make it so easy so understand! We'd do better if you taught English instead of Kazu-nee!"

"Oh, um, not at all! Do you understand it, Hotaru?"

"Oh Alice-sempai, I couldn't possibly touch it…ah, yes, I do understand!"

-0-

-0-

After the mysterious destruction of the Tokyo Landing Castle, combat operations in Japan had ceased. The surviving Martians, with some reinforcements, had occupied the ruined metropolis; neither side proved willing to chance their arm.

In Asahigaoka, the village council assembled a local defence force. The Headman drew up a wide range of plan to meet enemy attack, or bombardment, and led field drills for every possibility, though not even a Sky Carrier fly-over had taken place. The gang frequently trooped out to watch the heavyset farmers jog through drills and exercises, laden variously with shotguns, hoes and baseball bats.

"Don't panic, Mr Mainwaring!" Alice muttered.

"Them Martians, they don't like it up 'em!" Karen giggled.

"What's that?" Nattsun asked, "A magic spell? Oh, Hi there Mum!"

"Nyanpasu, Candy-Store!" Renge called.

More conservative than the UFE, the Asahigaoka volunteers had not encouraged female enlistment, but Mrs Koshigaya had attended most of the exercises. With hunting rifle slung over her shoulder, Kaede had attended every one.

Three months into the war, the biggest threat to Japan was famine. Worldwide war had almost eliminated food imports; even with the vast outflow of refugees, Japan couldn't feed all its people.

Highschool-age reservists, already facing deployment to the front on their graduation, were conscripted into a land-clearance and crop planting scheme, replacing most of their classes. Little Alice took to the labour astonishing well, but the mood of the highschool generally was toxic resentment.

Perhaps that frustration was why three farmboys decided to make certain that Alice wasn't a Martian spy, by following her home. When she saw them, she didn't dare call out, or even turn round again. She kept walking, until she saw Komori and Yoko ahead; then she ran, with more terror than she imagined her little body couldn't hold.

The next day, Asahigaoka branch school were surprised to Alice Caralet stood beside a dozing Kazu-nee at the head of their class. She had a headband, a bamboo sword, and a steadfast expression.

"Is Alice-san the teacher?"

"Um, Alice, don't you have school?"

"I dropped out. My parents aren't around, so they can't do anything."

"Uwah! A truant teacher! What a bad example!"

"Well, it can only be an improvement from Kazu-nee!"

Kazumi gave an empty smile. She'd slipped into a waking trance since Hikari's disappearance, two parts impotence to one part grief.

"Hmph, show a little respect, Nattsun-san!" Alice coughed, and smiled like cherub; even Kazumi looked up, "The truth is, when I was tutoring Hotaru-san and Komori-san, I had such a peaceful glow in my chest. I really think this is what I'm meant to do! My friends Shinobu, Aya and Isa-nee are all working hard for the good of Japan. I want to work as well, for the people of this country I love!" Ooo's and applause. "Now everyone define a hundred English phrases! Today we're going 'bishy-bash, bishy-bash!'"

-0-

-0-

"Alice-san! Nyanpasu!"

"Good Meowning, Renge-chan!"

Wearing overalls, and a straw hat, Alice strapped a huge pack of seedlings to her back. Then she waded out with Renge to a freshly dug rice paddy. Nattsun, Koma, Karen and Hotaru were already wading through the paddy, dropping rice shoots. Her brother and some older men were using spades and chainsaws to clear more land.

"Hey! You were right to teach us farmwork in school hours, Kazumi-sensei!" Nattsun grinned.

"Yeah. It wasn't because I couldn't be bothered to work..." Kazumi smiled, and turned back to her tractor. She'd never liked farmwork before; but these days it made her feel a bit better.

As well as shaking up the school like maracas, Alice had chosen to help expand the Miyaguchi farm, as part of the national food production scheme. Kazu-nee had warned her to rest up from work several times, but Alice had politely ignored her. She slept soundly every night, and visibly shone with satisfaction.

Though far stronger than Alice, Karen got on less well. She didn't like the mud, or the boundless days of unvarying labour. When she started stepping back from the farm work no one criticised–she was that kind of person–except for Alice.

"Really, Karen, we're guests here! We should show our gratitude, by working hard, and doing our bit for the war."

"Hmph! We're not going to kick out the Martians by growing rice."

Six months after arriving in the village, Yoko's letter finally reached them. That night, Alice heard something clatter, and stumbled from her bed; Karen was forcing clothes into a bag.

"I'm going to get the early morning bus into town, and volunteer. They'll take me; I got the highest pilot scores of our year."

"Karen, _no_." In her nightdress, Alice clung to Karen's hands, "Your Mum and Dad didn't want you to fight–"

"Well, they're not here! I can't stay cooped up in this village anymore! I need to avenge Honoka, quickly." Tears stood out in her eyes, "I've got to do something!"

"You're doing something here, so that everyone has something to eat! I know you want to fight, but there are different ways to fight. So many terrible things have happened…we have to shoulder the burden we're given, and work hard as we can, like grown-ups!"

All through the night, they talked about the war, their frustrations and fears–and their friend, Honoka. Karen finally traipsed back to her futon at 3am, still sobbing. Alice felt miserable, exhausted–and in a few hours Koma-chan and Hotaru would call on her, for another day of work. If only Shino were there, she could have done anything!

Alice had hardly ever prayed before the war. But she found her little hands scrunching together as her eyes closed.

"Dear God. Please keep Shinobu safe. And Yoko. And Aya. Please…be very close to Karen. May Shinobu not miss me, or maybe only a little, and may she make new friends, just not another blonde girl…thank you for keeping everyone in Japan safe. Amen."

-0-

-0-

"…Ooo, Syaro-chan, your hair is so golden, and shiny! Can I stroke it? Brush it away from your ear, once more! What kind of hair-dye do you use? It looks so golden shiny and real! Maybe I'll dye my hair blonde, no, Alice wouldn't want me to do that! Did I tell you about Alice? She's my angel princess, and you'll have to meet her when this is all over–"

"Um, before the war is over, we need to sew these clothes!"

From day one, the quartermaster section had been providing warm and mended clothes to displaced people. Rize-sempai might have persuaded her father to let her fight, Sharo felt glad she could be useful away from the battlefield. If only she could stop worrying–Rize-sempai was strong and brave. And if only her her sewing machine partner was a bit less clingy. She would give Chiya and Cocoa a real earful about this, when their shifts were ended, over some strong coffee!

"Oh, yes!" Shinobu chattered on, "My friend Aya was really grateful to your two friends for making her welcome! They're such good friends, they're all going to Tokyo today, together!"

"Tokyo? Why are the catering corps heading into enemy territory?"

"Eh? Why would they…indeed?" Shino's round eyes and smile looked very wooden.

"Eh? EH? What are they doing…?!"

-0-

-0-

Chiya, Cocoa and Aya were indeed strapping into a transport plane, heading for the centre of Tokyo. It was the least popular job in the catering corps, but everyone had to do it at some point.

Cocoa was writing a letter to her friend Chino, Chiya was unreadable, and Aya was fidgeting. She had got Yoko's letter, before passing it on to Asahigoaka; apart from the imminent danger of death her friend was walking in, what did she mean by 'wonderful friends'? The escort of soldiers with the catering girls were silent; there was no sound but the roar of the plane.

Finally, they touched down among the ruins of the capital. All of them shuddered, as they stepped out behind the armed soldiers. The shell of Castle Cruhteo loomed above, surrounded by makeshift emplacements. More UFE planes were around them. Ahead was a Vers transport, and Martian blue-jackets, regarding them like diseased insects. Like serial killer mugshots, it was surprisingly easy to remember what they'd done.

"You're late, _Terrans_. Load the tribute onto the vehicle quickly."

"Tribute, indeed!" Cocoa whispered, as the girls loaded sacks of rice, "They should be grateful we give them food to survive on!"

"Oh? We'd only attack you again and take it if you didn't."

The Martian officer evidently had good hearing. Cocoa shrieked like a mouse, but Chiya stepped in front of her. So did Aya.

"My friend–our friends!–are fighting your people on the continent. And…they won't stop fighting!"

"Why, you little–!"

"Hey! You want a fight, start it with men, not kids!" A UFE soldier moved to defend the girls. After some arguing, the catering team got onto the Martian transport, as planned. They rode with the supplies to one of the half-ruined, half-fortified stadiums where the prisoners were kept.

With her unit, Aya served out rice, bread and soup to the Tokyo survivors held by Cruhteo's forces. Men, women, children of every age; all with the same pinched look. With a Martian present at all times, Aya didn't dare to ask how they were treated. But all of them bowed to her and smiled, as she passed out the food they needed to live. It all felt like a dream; since she shouted at the Martian, she barely felt real. But she knew; nothing was more real than this.

-0-

-0-

A year before, Miaguchi Renge had drawn a picture of Hikari, surrounded by dark monsters and shadows, entitled 'despair'. Her sister had quipped at her not to give such a name to her picture. Every day Renge worked quite hard, planting rice in new fields. Every evening she got out the picture, and gazed at the shadowed, half-smothered figure in the darkness.

Whenever Kazu-nee came in, she hid the picture. Hugged her, and said she was a good sister and teacher after all. The world was at war; even Renge was ready to do her bit.


End file.
